On Wednesday 22nd March Kirsty Mackay, our RGU Hub officer will be in Alford Academy.
All pupils who have applied to RGU will have received an email with a QR code to scan and book an appointment with Kirsty to discuss their application and any queries they have regarding Uni – funding, accommodation etc.
You can simply book an appointment at a time that suits best during the hub day. The appointments are not mandatory and are available to students if they wish to attend. It is a casual chat but will hopefully answer any queries they do have.
Please check your emails if you have applied to RGU and would welcome this input and help.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is delivering a national webinar for senior phase pupils, parents and carers on How to apply for a Scottish Apprenticeship on the 9th of March.
The session will include a panel discussion with SDS Careers adviser, Apprentice employer and an Apprenticeship offering their experiences and advice.
Join Skills Development Scotland in our webinar for senior pupils, parents and careers on ‘How to apply for a Scottish Apprenticeships’ as part of #ScotAppWeek23.
Find out about apprenticeships and get tips on the application process.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is delivering a national webinar ‘How to have meaningful career conversations’ on Thursday 23 March at 6.30pm.
Parents and carers can join this webinar to hear about the value and benefits of having career conversations and get some practical hints and tips on how to approach these. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions.
As part of the Scottish Apprenticeship Week (6 to 10 March), e-sgoil DYW Live in partnership with SDS are offering DYW Live Apprentice Showcase webinars to help promote apprenticeships as a post school pathway. There are up to four 30min online sessions each day of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
During these webinars, pupils can hear from a range of apprentices and their employers about what it’s like to undertake an apprenticeship and employers from a range of sectors will feature with some sessions discussing current and future apprenticeship vacancies. Our current FAs have expressed strong interest in Modern Apprenticeships and Graduate Apprenticeships as possible pathways into the world of work and we will share directly with the current FAs. However, it is likely that there will be interest in this from non FA pupils.
Registration is free and to attend any session through the DYW Live website
Four Pillars – Session in Alford Library – LGBT+ community
We are pleased to make you aware of short courses which are on offer at NESCOL to assist candidates in preparing for end of year exams in Higher Sciences and Maths. All sessions are at Aberdeen City Campus, but physics is also available at Fraserburgh Campus.
Over seven evening sessions in the weeks leading up to the final exam, learners will work in small groups with other candidates to practice exam-style questions. Coaching during the class will help them improve the way they approach a range of questions. We will also cover aspects of the curriculum that have been identified as poorly answered in previous exams.
In previous years these sessions have been oversubscribed, so we would encourage early booking from any interested individuals.
Further details of all courses may be found on the links below.
Preparation for Higher Biology – commencing 27th February (Aberdeen City Campus)
For further information on Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology please contact Douglas Fraser douglas.fraser@nescol.ac.uk or for Computing Science please contact Ben Thorn b.thorn@nescol.ac.uk
Neptune Energy ignites project with Alford Academy pupils
S3 Chemistry pupils from Alford Academy are set to tackle an exciting project with Neptune Energy following a series of presentations from staff members during Scottish Careers Week (7-11 November 2022).
Pupils were visited by Neptune Energy’s geologist Calvin Roberts, metallurgist Bob Conder and communications advisor Jodie Kilminster. Each staff member outlined their career path and current job role, providing pupils with an insight into their backgrounds and day-to-day working life.
Calvin went on to talk about the geology of batteries, the use of lithium and associated environmental impacts. Bob’s presentation covered metals, alloys, corrosion and prevention, outlining why metals are useful for transport and how corrosion can be slowed or prevented. Jodie explained to the pupils how she helps Neptune Energy communicate with its internal and external audiences by managing the company’s website, social media channels and interactions with the media.
Having received some additional design and messaging tips from Jodie, pupils have been tasked with producing a poster to showcase the lessons learned from the presentations they heard during class. The finished results will be sent to Neptune Energy for feedback and review, with the best examples going on display at the company’s offices in Aberdeen.
“Having the opportunity to visit schools and share our knowledge is something we really value and we hope the students benefit from our support for their future careers.”JODIE KILMINSTER, COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR · NEPTUNE ENERGY
Neptune Energy’s Communications Advisor, Jodie Kilminster, said: “We’re extremely passionate about supporting young people in our local community with mentorship, guidance, and advice. Having the opportunity to visit schools and share our knowledge is something we really value and we hope the students benefit from our support for their future careers.”
Stuart Cookson, Depute Head Teacher, Alford Academy was delighted to welcome the Neptune Energy team members to the school.
“We are so grateful to Neptune Energy for allowing Bob, Calvin and Jodie to come into Alford Academy to provide such fantastic lesson inputs to S3 chemistry pupils,” he said. “The sessions enabled pupils to understand how their learning at Alford Academy is transferable to future careers and the world of work.
“Feedback from the pupils has been really positive. They are looking forward to designing their posters to showcase what they learnt from Neptune Energy. Alford Academy is excited about furthering our relationship with Neptune Energy to continue to inspire and engage our pupils, who are the future workforce.”
Developing the Young Workforce director, Margo Milne, said: “This is an excellent example of contextualising classroom learning with the world of work – and exactly the sort of activity that we wish to celebrate during Scottish Careers Week.
“We are incredibly grateful to Neptune Energy for providing the pupils with such a meaningful experience. The follow-on activity is particularly important in terms of cementing the pupils’ understanding and I’m sure the poster challenge will produce some fantastic results.”
Scottish Careers Week runs from 7-11 November 2022. The initiative is led by Skills Development Scotland with the support of partners and employers, and focuses on all things skills, jobs and careers. Further information about Scottish Careers Week is available here.
We are opening the doors of our Aberdeen Altens, Aberdeen City, and Fraserburgh Campuses (where there will also be representatives from our Scottish Maritime Academy). Visitors will be able to explore our campuses, see our facilities, speak to curriculum teams and student support staff, and find out all they need to know about studying at NESCol.
We’ll also have representatives from our Part Time Learning team and our Schools team, and ambassadors from the University of Aberdeen and RGU on hand to discuss university progression pathways.
On Tuesday 22 March, Robert Gordon University delivered a workshop to the S5s on note taking and revision skills. This included identifying what type of learning style, what learning methods to use to be an effective learner as well as exam preparation tips. They also covered how to manage your mental wellbeing; what affects our mental health, what can we change and how we can find support. The pupils comments were:
Really helpful and in depth, I learned what learning style works best for me
It was interesting and useful
Very interactive session, good because of personal examples used
Helpful and informative
Project Trust also delivered a presentation on taking a gap year and volunteering with project trust overseas. Pupil comments were:
Great to hear about someone’s actual experience rather than an overview
I think what project trust is doing is amazing and I can’t wait to participate this year.
Definitely considering taking a gap year with project trust inspiring and informative
The presentation made me seriously consider going on a gap year with project trust. It seems like good life experience
The presentation I found really inspiring as it made me realise that there is maybe a good option of what to do after school as I still don’t know what I want to do after I leave school.
